Cove death ruled accidental drowning

John Nickerson

Updated 8:12 pm, Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Kyle Roth walks her dog, Winston, on the East end of Cove Island Park on Monday, June 24, 2013. Last Friday afternoon 13-year-old Rashad Gross drowned in the channel between the East end of the park and Brush Island.
Photo: Jason Rearick

Sunbathers and swimmers enjoy the South end of Cove Island Park on Monday, June 24, 2013. Last Friday afternoon 13-year-old Rashad Gross drowned in the channel between the East end of the park and Brush Island.
Photo: Jason Rearick

Sunbathers and swimmers enjoy the South end of Cove Island Park on Monday, June 24, 2013. Last Friday afternoon 13-year-old Rashad Gross drowned in the channel between the East end of the park and Brush Island.
Photo: Jason Rearick

Cordula Dizon, left, looks at shells with her children, Sophia, center, and James, on the South end of Cove Island Park on Monday, June 24, 2013. Last Friday afternoon 13-year-old Rashad Gross drowned in the channel between the East end of the park and Brush Island.
Photo: Jason Rearick

James Dizon, right, looks on as his sister, Sophia, wades into the water on the South end of Cove Island Park on Monday, June 24, 2013. Last Friday afternoon 13-year-old Rashad Gross drowned in the channel between the East end of the park and Brush Island.
Photo: Jason Rearick

A no swimming sign is posted on the East side of Cove Island Park on Monday, June 24, 2013, near where 13-year-old Rashad Gross drowned in the channel between the East end of the park and Brush Island.

STAMFORD -- An autopsy performed on 13-year-old Rashad Gross confirmed that the boy was the victim of an accidental drowning at Cove Island Park in Stamford on Friday afternoon.

Sgt. Paul Guzda said that the examination did not find any cuts or bruises to the boy's head that might have indicated he slipped or fell and hit his head before disappearing in the water.

Gross and five of his Turn of River Middle School friends went to swim in a posted no-swimming area of the park Friday after they were dismissed from school for the summer, police said. The swift current in that section of the water pulled Gross, who did not know how to swim, and one of the other boys out into deeper water. The second boy managed to keep his head above water though and was saved by the others, Guzda said.

In an interview Wednesday, Roy Wilson, 12, said he and his friends chose to swim in the posted no-swimming area after walking around the park and the main beach area, because someone had told them the water on that side is cleaner and clearer.

He said he and one of the boys were hesitant to go in very far.

"Me and Deandre did not go all the way in, we just put our legs in, that's it," Wilson said.

But the four other boys, including Gross, went farther into the water. The four that were deeper in were mostly on their feet, standing bunched together at that point, Wilson said.

They played in the water for about 10 minutes before the current began to pull Gross and the second boy, KJ, farther into the water, Wilson said. At that point Gross became worried and tried to grab ahold of one of the other boys. Gross was in the water only up to his chest when the current began to pull him into the channel, he said.

"He said `I can't swim,' " Wilson said. "And his hand slipped off and he started struggling and going up and down in the water. And KJ, he started struggling too," Wilson said.

The boys were able to rescue their friend KJ, who kept his head above the water. Gross went under and disappeared.

Wilson and the others began yelling and caught the attention of a Brush Island woman, who called 911 and jumped in the channel to try to help. She too was also swept away toward the Sound by the current before a neighbor was able to pull her out.

That was shortly before 2 p.m. Dozens of police and firefighters from Stamford, Darien and Norwalk, as well as Coast Guard personnel, converged in the park and searched for Gross. It wasn't until just before 5 p.m. when a Stamford dive team firefighter searching the floor of the canal with his hands found Gross in about six feet of water.

Gross is survived by his siblings Donald, Equasha, Nefretiria, Danasha, Amya, J'Quan and Jada, his aunt Theresa Gross Holsey, who had custody of him, and grandparents John and Deborah Dupigny, and Lavourges and Nona Holsey. He was predeceased by his mother.

Calling hours for Gross begin Friday at 9 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. service of celebration at Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church at 29 Grove St. Interment will follow at Spring Grove Cemetery in Darien.

Donations may be made to passionorganization.org at P.O. Box 112069, Stamford, CT 06911-2069.